Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that Pakistan is committed to provide all-out support to the Afghan people to avert humanitarian crisis.
While chairing the third meeting of the Apex Committee on Afghanistan, the prime minister said: “We welcome United Nation’s (UN) appeal for aid to Afghanistan.”
The UN has been urging the global community to provide aid to Afghanistan and also called to unfreeze Afghan assets, citing a looming humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of an economic collapse since the Taliban takeover in August last year.
During the meeting, the committee expressed concerns over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and vowed that Pakistan will not abandon Afghans in their time of need.
It renewed its appeal to the international community and relief agencies to provide aid at this critical juncture to avert economic collapse and to save precious lives in Afghanistan.
Imran Khan directed the authorities concerned to explore bilateral cooperation with friendly countries as well to stave off humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan by exporting qualified and trained manpower especially in medical, IT, Finance and accounting.
He also directed to extend cooperation in the fields of railways, minerals, pharmaceuticals and media to help in Afghanistan’s rehabilitation and development.
Earlier, the committee was updated on the progress made on humanitarian assistance worth Rs5 billion, which comprises of food commodities including 50,000 MT of wheat, emergency medical supplies, winter shelters and other supplies.
The committee was informed that Afghanistan is at the verge of hunger and crisis situation during this harsh winter. The crisis makes it difficult for the people to get enough food and shelter.
The committee resolved to stand together with Afghan people and urged relief agencies to take immediate action.
The meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, Adviser to PM on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood, National Security Advisor Dr Moeed Yousaf, and other senior civil and military officers.
